Electric or hybrid vehicles comprising a battery device for supplying a drive motor usually require relatively large battery devices which must be accommodated on the vehicle in the most space-saving manner possible. It is known to utilize, for this purpose, the space close to an underbody of the vehicle and, in particular, also in a center tunnel of the underbody, which is often required for accommodating a drive shaft.
The utilization of such a space in a center tunnel of a vehicle has the disadvantage, however, that, in the event of a lateral impact on the vehicle (a “side crash”), the tunnel walls represent a weak point and, therefore, a risk for a battery device located behind the walls, since the load that occurs is only very slightly absorbed or conducted further, due to the nature of the tunnel walls and the geometric design thereof.
FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the underbody area of a related art vehicle that has a collapsing structure 12 in the area of the center tunnel 2 during a side crash of the vehicle. The lateral forces occurring on the seat cross-members 3 can effectuate a destruction of tunnel walls of the center tunnel 2 and of the battery device 1, since the forces impact the relatively weak tunnel walls and, there, cannot be sufficiently dissipated.